Jet propulsion.



P. SKOUSES.

JET PROPULSION.

APPLICATION rILnn mm". 0, 190a.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

3 BHBBTHHEET 1.

WITNE$$E5 X $4M INVENTOR QM A TORNEYS P. SKOUSES.

JET PROPULSION. AIEPLIUATION FILED JUNE a, 190:

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

INVENTOR flamed ATTORNEYS P. SKOUSES. JET PROPULSION. APPLICATION IILED JUNE 9, 190a.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911. Fig. I s sfinms-snnm a.

fiTTO ENE Y5 causing the gases to escape from two tions thereo PAUL SKOUSES, OF ATHENS, GREECE.

J ET PROPULSION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

Application filed June 9, 1908. Serial No. 487,727.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL Sxousns, a subject of the King of Greece, residing 1n Athens, Greece, proprietor, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jet Pro ulsion, of which invent-ion the following 1s a full,clear, and exact description.

The principle underlying the propulsion of navigable vessels by hydraulic reaction known and numerous applicahave'been made. In such applications the motive force utilized on the vessel works centrifugal or piston pumps which draw in water fromthe front of the vessel and expel it at the rear thereof and the reaction of this water as ex elled into the sea produces the movement 0 the vessel. According to this invention, instead of producing this reaction by expelled water, the pressure derived from the explosion of gases is utilized therefor. Ordinary gas engines are worked'by the pressure of the explosion of gas; in apparatus according to this invention however a motor that may be termed a gas engine ceases to work as such after the compression of the explosive mixture, the mixture after such compression bein ignited and the com ressed gases pro need by the explosion disc arged through suitable has been long pipes into the sea, thus producing the reaction necessary to movement. In this way notable economy is secured. A vessel which, to move at a given speed, would require an engine of one hundred horse power would, un er such conditions, only require an en gine necessary to produce the compression of the mixture the work produced by the explosion of which would be equal to one hundred'horse power, so that there are secured economy in rice, weight and space occu ied, besides tiie consequent increased faci 1ty of manipulation. Propulsion by reaction has other advantages; for example, a propeller screw is no longer necessary; a vessel so propelled can move with equal ease in either. direction without the necessity of turning around in order to present its forward end to the direction of motion.' By p1 es, one on each side, the rudder may be ispensed with, a condition which, concurrently with the absence of the screw, obviates frequent causes of grounding. With such an engine moreover a vessel is capable of moving more readily from one position to another. I

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference will now be made to the accompanying illustrative drawings which show diagrammatically several constructional arrangements of apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 1 is a? dia rammatic plan view of a vessel adapted to o driven by the exhaust from an ex loder; Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively an e evation and a lan of a battery of exploders; Fig. 4 is a iagrammatic elevation of a compressor motor having three cylinders mounted in tandem; Fig. 5 is a plan of a modified compressor motor comprising six cylinders; Flg. 6 is .an elevation partly in section of a modified arrangement of reaction pipes; Fi 7 is a diagrammatic elevation of a modifie form of'motor; Fi 7 and. 7 are diagrams of the work of t e four cylinder motorshown in Fig. 7 and. workin respectively as an explosion motor and a iesel motor; Fig. 8 1s a dia am matic plan of a vessel ada ted to be riven by the exhaust from a hydrocarbon motor and Fig. 9 is a similar view of a modified arrangement.

In the first arrangement, see Fig. 1, the motive force em loyed is the explosion of poor gas derive from a gas producer A and compressed by a motor gas compressor B into a gas accumulator C under a pressure of about 20 (twenty) atmospheres; a second compressor B for air forces air at the same pressure into an air accumulator C The explosion takes place in a battery of exploders D of which one is shown separately in Figs. 2 and 3. These ex loders are fed with a mixture of. gas and air from the respective accumulators G and C throu h admission valves d and 03 respectively; t e pressure of the mixture is reduced by means of suitable reducing valves'to about six atmospheres and its composition consists of one part gas and five parts air. .A motor E drives a shaft (13 which controls the distribution of air and gas to the exploders and,

. by the magnetos D which means of the eccentric 01 also drives ignite the-mixture. The products of the explosion escape through the exhaust tuated by the same shaft (Z and enter the main or collecting pipe F which supplies the pipes f 4 (Fig. 1) through which the gases of the explosion are caused to react upon the water and produce the movements of the vessel. The pipes f f i i may be fitted with stop cocks or valves whereby they may be so controlled or combined as to obtain the different desired movements of the vessel G. When for example the tubes f and f are closed and the tubes f 1 are open the vessel will move forwardly and in the reverse case it will move backwardly; rotary movements are obtained by the combination of the tubes f f, or f F. It is thus possible to replace the rudder by these pipes, an arrangement which offers great advantages, since the rudder is a frequent and very prominent cause of serious accidents in navigation. The difierent exploders do not work simultaneously but one after the'other. There is thus obtained a continuous action and and 3.

shocks in the propulsion of the vessel are avoided. This spccessive action is obtained by the displacement of the angles at which the cams h, which work the valves of the exploders, are keyed on the shaft d, Figs? In place of'the four tubes f 7 ,7, f, a single rotating tribe f may be employed, see Fig. 6. This tube is connected to the main ipe F of the reaction gases,'by a spherical oint or knuckle f of well known construction, which does not in any way hinder the rotary movement of the tube 1"". This rotary movement is produced by gear wheels f and a hand wheel f which is actuated atwill by the engineer. This arrangement being dispensed with and the difierent desired movements of the ship being obtained.

, I, J, K are mounted on a common valve 70 if The motor compressor B, see Fig. 4, comprises three cylinders mounted in tandem; the two extreme cylinders T and J are motor cylinders and the middle cylinder K is a compressor cylinder. The motor cylinders I J are provided on each side-with two admission valves 2', i 51, f for as and air, and with an exhaust valve '5 33 or the products of the explosion; the compressor cylinder K has only one gas or air admission it is a gas or air compressor, and one exhaust valve 70 for the gas or compressed air which passes to the accumulator. The pistons o the three cylinders iston rod L which has a to and fro recti inear movement imparted to it. The phases of action are reversed in the two motor cylvalve d which isacinders so'that there is always a motor move- -ment.. Supposing for example, that the piston rod L moves from left to right, (see the arrow Fig. 4:) if there is the admission into the left hand end of the left hand motor cylinder I, there will be compression upon the right hand face of the piston of the same cylinder, the left hand end of the right hand motor cylinder J and exhaust at the right hand end of such cylinder and conversely; in this way ,a flywheel may be dispensed with.

The method employed for o eratin the distribution valves of the cylin ers I, K, is diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 4 where 1t will be seen that disks M are actuated by tappets Z on the common piston rod and links Z connecting the disks M to the difierent valves. The starting of the motor compressor is effected by means of compressed air derived from the accumulator.

Fig. 5 shows a compressor motor 3 having six cylinders formed in two groups of three cylinders each mounted in tandem. Each group comprises two motor cylinders constituted by the outside cylinders T and J, and one intermediate compression cylinder K. The arrangement of the admis sion and exhaust valves in the difi'erent cylinders is the same as in Fig. at and in each group the pistons of the three cylinders in tandem are mounted, as hereinbefore described, on one common piston rod L. As the working phases in the motor cylinders are crossed thereis always a motor movement per group of cylinders, or two movements per stroke, one in the opposite direction to the other.

The motor B shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be arranged so as to avoid the use ofthe exploders. For this purpose it sufiices to make the intermediate cylinders K motor cylinders and to adm1t an explosive mixture thereto. This mixture is fired and the products of the combustion escape immediately after the explosion to react upon the water without the intermediation of exploders; it is necessary that there should be in the cylinder a difference in the angles of keying of the unclicking tappets. The motors of this arrangement may likewise work on the principle of gas motors or else according to the principle. of Diesel motors. 1

Another arrangement for'avoiding the use of exploders is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 7 It comprises a motor composed of four cylinders N N N, N the pistons of which act upon a common shaft N which is mounted to rotate in bearings 91.. This shaft is cranked for the cylinder piston rods at the middle N and N and at its ex- 'tremities, it is provided with ,c'ranks connected to rods 71. a

explosion and expansion in k valve actuating levers m Q are thepdistribution rods of each cylinder'worked by the main shaft N through gearing q. The an les'at which the cranks are keyed are sac that the four strokes succeed each other symmetrically in the four 0 linders. Fig. 7 shows the cylinder N at t e end of its suction stroke, the cylinder N is at the end of its compression stroke, the cylinder N at the end of its expansion stroke and the c linder N at the end of its expulsion stro e. The dimensions of the fly wheel may thus be reduced to a minimum. The motor shown in Fig. 7 may work according to the principle of either explosion motors, combustion motors, or Diesel motors.

Fig. 7 is a diagram of .the four cylinder motor of Fig. 7 working after the princfifple of explosion motors. Thisdiagram di ers from that of an ordinary explosion motor, in that the exhaust valve is opened b means of the distribution rod, immediate y after the explosion. From an to 3 there is a sudden fall of pressure, the ases issuing from the cylinder to exercise tieir pressure upon the water. At the valve will be closed and the pressure re need to such a value that it can accomplish sufficient work to compress the explosive mixture in the cylinder where compression takes place and to overcome the passive resistances. The expulsion of the gases takes place on the fourth stroke by another exhaust valve likewise worked by the distribution rod and communicating with the atmosphere.

' Fi n 7 shows a diagram of the motor working on the principle of Diesel motors;

I the arrangement is analogous to that just described.

In the second arrangement, see Fig. 8,

the explosive gases are derived from somesuitable hydrocarbon, such as petrol for example, contained in reservoirs P and forced by a petrol compressor B into the exploders D at a pressure of 30 (thirty) atmospheres. The exploders are previously filled with air at the same pressure derived from an air accumulator O which is fed by an air compressor B. As, at the ressure of 30 (thirty) atmospheres petro ignites automatically, the ex loders' are not fitted'with magnetos. The istribution of fluid to and from the exploders is. 'efi'ected as in the first described arrangement. r

The third arrangement, see Fig. 9, is much simplified. Air derived from an air accumulator Cl enters into petrol reservoirs P at a pressure of 6 (six) atmospheres and is then delivered by means of Injectors into the exploders D where explosion is caused by means of magnetos; the use of a petrol compressor is thus dispensed with. The pressure of the air in the accumulator C may be from 50 to 60 fifty to sixty) atmospheres and it is reduce by suitable reducing valves.

"Furthermore the 'use of a motor E employed in the precedin arrangements is also dispensed with an the shaft d which operates the distribution valves of the exploders is actuated by a rack b on the rod of the air pression machines there may be em loyed' carbid of calcium to which is added, or the purpose of furnishing the atmospheric air required by the explosive mixture, oxylith yielding pure oxygen, which is preferable to air. At the moment of launching the torpedo, or when it is desired to move the submarine, 1t sufiices, to produce the reaction, to

put the necessary water into the compartment containing the mixture of carbid of calcium and oxylith in suitable proportions. As is heretofore known that to regulate the speed of this reaction of the cal-bid of calcium and the oxylith, saccharose can be added to the first and soda to the second of these ingredients. In such an arrangement the torpedo has not to carry any motor mechanism but only the pressure regulatolythereby increasing the simplicity of the torpedo construction and facllitating its easy manipulation.

Finally the same rinciple of reaction by the explosion of exp osive gases can also be applied to aerial navigation by the aid of aerostats which would work like rockets, and to the raising of water, and to any other application of compressed air.

What I claim is:

1. In driving means for vessels, a lurality of explosion chambers, indepen ent accumulators for gas and air with passages leading to each of said chambers, means for compressing gas and air in said accumulators at a relatively high pressure, and means for admitting said gas and air at reduced pressure to said'explosion chambers, in combination with a common exhaust passage-into which said chambers open and forwardl and backwardly directed passa es branc ing from said exhaust to the exterlor of said vessel, substantially as and for the purpose descrlbed.

2. In driving means for vessels, 0. lurality of explosion chambers, indepen ent accumulators for gas and air with passages leading to each of said chambers, means for compressing gas and air in said accumulators at a relatively high pressure, and substantially as and for the purpose de- 10 means for admitting said gas and an at rescribed. duced pressure to said explosion chambers, In testimony whereof I have signed my in combination with a common cam shaft name to this specification, in the presence of controlling the inlets to said chambers, a two subscribing witnesses. common exhaust passage lnto which said PAUL SKOUSES. chambers open and forwardly and back Witnesses: i

' wardly directed passages branching from LOUIS HEINOIs,

said exhaust to the exterior of said vessel, PAUL ARoHIooN. 

